It started back in December. Westside Athletes Association (a non-profit started by UB's community governor Christopher, along with coaches Nikki, Jason, Jo, Jon, and member Maria McGinley) began their third "United for Youth" event. This time their goal was BIG - bringing a 2-day certification to 20 teachers in the SF Unified School District, allowing them to implement functional fitness programs in their schools.

The UB community rose up in support of the event, helping raise funds in contribution and celebrating it with February's Fight Gone Bad event. The fundraising continued up until the actual training, which took place last Wednesday-Thursday.

Before sharing some details of the training, HUGE thanks goes to all of you who supported WAA's cause, especially those fundraisers who helped raise $10,766!!! Some great prizes were solicited for the top 3 fundraisers, and those turned out to be:

Mike Coutermarsh - $946Amelia Eddleman - $795Dock Howard - $550

Congrats to them! And again, WAA cannot thank you enough for all of your participation and support.

This training was the tangible result of the efforts around United for Youth. 20 teachers attended, and coaches Nikki, Jason, and Jon were also given complimentary attendance. Safe to say it was a resounding success! Here are just a few quotes from the teachers on what they found valuable:

The basic concept - focus on mechanics! It's easy to get swept up in the complexities of teaching a class, and this was a good reminder to live/work by simple rules and master them.

How to implement this within my P.E. class and how the approach will help me engage and challenge my students' fitness levels.

How to identify /correct form in squats, jumps, lifts.

Physical Literacy - what it means and why it matters.

Technique over Intensity and Load.

We learned all about Brand X's methodology for teaching kids (or really, anyone) how to move well through life. They call it "physical literacy" - how to confidently, capably, and safely move through your environment. Quality of movement is of paramount importance, and the foundation is in safety and fun. As they teach it, fun = success, and the goal is to have every kid be successful.

Beyond how this applies to teens and children, many lessons/tips/drills can also be applied to adults, and we hope to share some of that with you in future classes. If you want to learn more, feel free to chat with Nikki, Jason, or Jon!

We can't say it enough - THANK YOU. From the bottom of our hearts, we truly appreciate what you helped create. I'll leave you with some pics from the training.